ODAC Student-Athlete Advisory Meeting
Randolph-Macon Woman's College - November 12, 2006

Welcome: 

The meeting was called to order at 10:40am 

Commissioner Bankston welcomed all the participants. 

Commissioner Bankston asked that each rep split into groups and introduce someone not from his/her school. 

Commissioner Bankston distributed the conference Directory and Records Book - explaining the purpose of the directory and answered any questions the group might have concerning its production and purpose. 

Old Business:

Commissioner Bankston reviewed the conference SAAC listserv instructions. He indicated the listserv would be up-to-date and workable for the group no later than Dec. 1^st. 

Commissioner Bankston asked that all schools that currently have a SAAC constitution and set of by-laws forward them to the conference office. Once received, the by-laws will be posted on the conference SAAC website. 

The websote was reviewed at the meeting. Commissioner Bankston indicated the need to update some of the links to conference minutes and various additional NCAA links. 

A partial roster was distributed and the committee members were asked to update their information (phone, email, mailing address, etc.). 

Role of SAACs on Campus:

The group was pleased to see national SAAC representative Alecia Weddle at the meeting. Ms. Weddle talked to the group on the work of the NCAA DIII SAAC and how they can work on their campuses to establish a functioning SAAC. 

Ms. Weddle also called attention to various pieces 

The group discussed the role each of their SAAC plays on their individual campus. They divided into small groups to discuss their functions on campus and reconvened to discuss their findings. Each school was asked to discuss recent community service projects and any suggestions they might have for other committees just beginning. 

There was a better representation from the membership on functioning SAACs and those working to make things better on their campus. The exchange was worthwhile and allowed some student-athletes to take additional ideas for SAAC work back to their campus. 

Many reps suggested the need for greater administration support (ADs, Coaches) to their mission. Some lacked the necessary support to meet on a weekly or monthly basis. They believed with encouragement by the ADs and specifically the coaching staff, they would be able to accomplish more. 

Regional Leadership Conference:

Several members of the conference SAAC also attended the National Regional Leadership Conference. Those present reflected on the experience and talked of the many things they learned while in Dallas. Based on the feedback, the conference was a success in the eyes of the students involved. The group encouraged each school to participate in the next regional seminar. 

Guest Speaker - Dr. Joel Fish:

The group welcomed Dr. Joel Fish to the meeting. Dr. Fish talked with the group about the value of leadership and some of the tough decisions that leaders have to face throughout their role in collegiate athletics and life in general. The student-athletes had several role-playing exercises and discussed real life experiences among themselves providing feedback to each other depending on the situation. Post-talk evaluations were submitted with positive responses to Dr. Fish's talk. 

Old Business:

Community Service Projects (2005)

The group reviewed the conference's success with the annual food drive. It was VOTED that the conference SAAC, in conjunction with each individual campus SAAC, create a food drive that would conclude at the end of March (31st). The group determined that the drive would be competitive between the conference schools with each item counting as one point. Each school would be responsible to report its number to the conference office on March 31st and file a report of the number of items donated to its local food pantry. The winning team would receive a prize from the conference office. Plans for the implementation of the contest will be distributed following the Board meeting in December. 

New Business:

2005 NCAA Convention and Legislation:

Commissioner Bankston and Sameer Khan reviewed the upcoming NCAA legislation for the 2006 convention. Only pieces that pertained to student-athlete welfare were reviewed. 

Individual Agenda Items:

Several reps brought their own agenda items for the meeting: 

1. The group discussed non-traditional season participation and its value in DIII athletics. One of the SAAC members had brought this subject to the attention of the group. In conclusion, a majority favored maintaining the practice in DIII but did value the limitation on their time in the off-season. 

2. Competitive Resources Group (CRG) was introduced. The group had recently preformed a function at Hollins University which the Hollins SAAC rep found very worthwhile. She encouraged other schools in the league to look into the program with their career services staff on campus. 

Leadership of Committee:

Randolph-Macon's Jason Carmichael will serve as the committee chair for another year. 

The meeting was adjourned at 3:45pm